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Just when all seems to be going right,
challenges often come in multiple doses
applied simultaneously.

When those trials
are not consequences
of your disobedience,
they are evidence
that the Lord feels
you are prepared to grow more
(see Proverbs 3:11-12).

To get you from where you are
to where He wants you to be
requires a lot of stretching,
and generally entails discomfort.

"To exercise faith
is to trust that
the Lord knows
what He is doing with you
and that He can accomplish it
for your eternal good
even though you cannot understand
how He can possibly do it.

While you are passing through each phase,
the pain and difficulty
that comes from being enlarged will continue.

If all matters were immediately resolved
at your first petition,
you could not grow.

Your Father in Heaven
and His Beloved Son
love you perfectly.

They would not require you
to experience a moment more of difficulty
than is absolutely needed
for your personal benefit
or for that of those you love.
(Richard G. Scott)

I was going to research
all the scripture passages I could find
in the time permitted
that discuss GRATITUDE in trial,
THANKFULNESS, etc.

I'll leave that to you to accomplish.

I'll just share with you my thoughts of
"what brings you joy in the midst of trial?

After listing three important things:
Read the scriptures,
attend church services,
memorize hymns
to chase away the dark thoughts;

I emphasize this:

Joy is found in sorrow
when I
do not let my mind wander
more than 30 seconds
from the beginning of a "bummer" thought.

When I do start doing that -
taking more than 30 seconds
to wallow in misery
or to review the many injuries to self.

When I wander too long
in a thicket of despair or
self pity -
I start putting a "Dear Father"
in front of the thoughts.

When eventually,
I feel like I've been complaining too long -
I have to begin
thanking Him for something.
Anything.

I admit that
it is hard to find the "something"
in the misery of pain and grief
that makes my soul leap in joy
or wraps my heart in gratitude

Pausing to search for gratitude in pain
is like putting the brakes on a semi-truck
as it descends the mountain
to the valley
far below.

By the way -

Negative thoughts don't stop immediately.
Recapturing control is not easy.
Usually they keep streaming through my head
like an audio tape,
but I just keep struggling to change "tapes".
Eventually I have told God
exactly what I needed to say in the first place.

Which is "Thank You".

Learn more about this author, Sharon Cohen.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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